country, one Alexander Nesbitt of Leith, born in 1682, but without recording any circumstances relative to him.

TREVETT

was a painter of architecture and master of the company of painter-stainers, to whose hall he presented one of his works. He painted several views both of the inside and outside of St. Paul's, intending to have them engraved, for which purpose Vertue worked on them some time; but the design was never compleated. He began too a large view of London, on several sheets, from the steeple of St. Mary Overy, but died in 1723.

HENRY TRENCH

was a cotemporary of Kent, and gained a prize in the academy of St. Luke at Rome, at the same time. Trench was born in Ireland, but studied many years in Italy, and for some time under Gioseppe Chiari. Returning to England, he professed painting history, but not finding encouragement, went back to Italy and studied two years more. He came over for the last time in 1725, but died the next year, and was buried at Paddington.

not only distinguished himself above most of his competitors, but, which is far more to his honour, has left works that sustain themselves even in* capital collections. He was born at Antwerp, and made himself a painter, though he studied under very indifferent masters. In 1708 he was brought to England, with his brother-in-law Casteels, by one Turner, a dealer in pictures; and employed by him in copying Bourgognon and other masters, in which he succeeded admirably, particularly Teniers, of whom he preserved all the freedom and spirit. He generally painted landscapes with small figures, sea-ports and views; but when he came to be known, he was patro* His view of Chatsworth hangs among several fine pictures at Devonshire-house, and is not disgraced by them. † His father was a diamond-cutter.

[One of his best works is a view from Richmond-hill, in the possession of Mr. Cambridge, of Twickenham.]

nized by several men of quality; and drew views of their seats, huntings, races, and horses in perfection. In this way he was much employed both in the west and north of England, and in Wales, and drew many prospects for the intended history of Nottinghamshire by Mr. Bridges. He had the honour of instructing the late Lord Byron,* who did great credit to his master, as may be seen by several of his Lordship's drawings at his beautiful and venerable seat at Newstede-abbey in Nottinghamshire, and where Tillemans himself must have improved amidst so many fine pictures of animals and huntings. There are two long prints of horses and hunting designed and etched by him, and dedicated to his patrons, the Duke of Devon

* [Several coloured sketches, which were drawn by Tillemans, and the copies by William Lord Byron, when his pupil, are now in the possession of Captain R. Byron, R. N. his Lordship's grandson. He has likewise a view in oil, of the Abbey and Lake at Newsted, a large picture by the same artist. The Rev. R. Byron, Rector of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, a son of the abovementioned Lord Byron, and his sister, Lady Carlisle, copied the etchings of Rembrandt in a masterly style. The well-known" three trees," have been so well imitated by Mr. Byron, that the print has deceived the connoisseurs, and Lady Carlisle's etchings from Italian masters were highly coveted, as having never been published, by the collectors of that day. Granger, v. iv. 140, n. Royal and Noble Authors, Edit. Park, v. iv. p. 363. "Isabella Byron, Countess of Carlisle."]

These have since been sold by auction. There is a very scarce print of John West, first Earl of Delawarre, from a drawing by that Lord Byron.

shire and Lord Byron. With Joseph Goupy he was prevailed upon to paint a set of scenes for the opera, which were much admired. After labouring many years under an asthma, for which he chiefly resided at Richmond, he died at Norton* in Suffolk December 5, 1734, at about the fiftieth year of his age.

JOHN VANDREBANK,

a painter much in fashion in the reigns of the two last kings, is said by Vertue to be an Englishman (though by his name at least of foreign extraction) and to have attained his skill without any assistance from study abroad. Had he not been careless and extravagant, says iny author, he might have made a greater figure than almost any painter this nation had produced; so bold and free was his pencil and so masterly his drawing. He died of a consumption when he was not above forty-five, in Hollis-street, Cavendish-square, December 23, 1739. John Vandrebank gave the designs of a set of plates for Don Quixote. He had a brother of the same profession; and a cousin, called

• In the house of Dr. Macro, by whom he had been long employed. He was buried in the church of Stow-Langtoft. Brit. Topogr. vol. ii. p. 38.

† [In 1735, he made drawings for Lord Carteret's edition of Don Quixote which were engraved by Vandergutcht. Hogarth's designs were paid for, but rejected, and were likewise afterwards engraved. Nichols.]

SAMUEL BARKER,

whom he instructed in the art, but who having a talent for painting fruit and flowers, imitated Baptist, and would probably have made a good master, but died young in 1727.

PETER VAN BLEECK,

came into England in 1723, and was reckoned a good painter of portraits. There is a fine mezzotinto, done in the following reign, from a picture which he painted of those excellent comedians, Johnson and Griffin, in the characters of Ananias and Tribulation, in the Alchymist. I have mentioned Johnson in this work before, as the most natural actor I ever saw. Griffin's eye and tone were a little too comic, and betrayed his inward mirth, though his muscles were strictly steady. Mr. Weston is not inferior to Johnson in the firmness of his countenance, though less universal, as Johnson was equally great in some tragic characters. In Bishop Gardiner he supported the insolent dignity of a persecutor; and compleatly a priest, shifted it in an instant to the fawning insincerity of a slave, as soon as Henry frowned. This was indeed history, when Shakespeare wrote it, and Johnson represented it. When we read it in fictitious harangues and wordy declamation, it is a tale told by a pedant to a school-boy. Vanbleeck died July 20, 1764.